Phaivanh Sixaiyavong (Tou Kood)
After years in the steel construction industry, Phaivanh Sixaiyavong (known as Tou Kood) shifted to agriculture when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted his business. Despite having no prior farming experience, he taught himself coconut cultivation through online research and hands-on experimentation. However, he soon faced challenges in marketing his raw produce. To add value to his […]
Community fisheries in Lao PDR : a survey of techniques and issues
The fishing techniques which can be found in Laos provide a good illustration of the principle that culture is not a static museum display but a living, evolving aspect of everyday life. In virtually every part of the country new gears are being developed or adopted and old gears are being abandoned or modified to […]
Mr. Khamphou Phanthaboun
Mr. Khamphou Phanthaboun began his journey in organic farming with no training. Like many farmers, he relied on traditional farming practices and learned through experience. In 2004-2005, with support from the Helvetas organic agriculture project, Mr. Khamphou established a organic garden at his home. Through hands-on learning and continuous practice, he developed skills in organic […]
Bounpasakxay Khamphoumy (Kop)
Bounpasakxay Khamphoumy is a Lao forestry researcher and silviculture specialist with more than 20 years of experience in sustainable forest management, reforestation, and biodiversity conservation. He previously worked at the Forestry Research Center of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI) and currently serves as a Technical Officer in the Protected Area Management Division […]
Wild Foods and Nutrition: Iron
Wild plants like moringa, water spinach, bamboo shoots, and wild mushrooms, as well as animals like snails, crickets, and small fish, provide iron that helps keep your blood and body healthy. In the next pages, you will find a selection of wild food species and a few recipes showing how you can prepare them.
Wild Foods and Nutrition: Vitamin A
Wild food species also provide vitamin A. Wild plants like yanang, climbing wattle, balsam apples, spiny amaranth, and Asiatic pennywort are rich in beta carotene, which the body can convert to Vitamin A. Eating these traditional foods helps families stay healthy. In the next pages, you will find a selection of wild food species and […]
Bounchanh Mekaloun
Bounchanh Mekaloun, Deputy Head of the Forest Research Center at the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Institute (NAFRI), says that forests are far more than landscapes: they are living sources of food, health, and opportunity. After graduating from the Faculty of Forestry in Vietnam, he returned to Laos equipped not only with academic knowledge but […]
Manivanh Aliyavong
Currently serving as the Regional Small Grants Manager at ALiSEA (Agroecology Learning Alliance in Southeast Asia), Manivanh supports local and regional actors who are driving agroecological change on the ground. Her role connects grassroots initiatives with regional learning, ensuring that practical experience feeds into shared knowledge and collective action. Her journey began in 2015 with […]
Keooudone Souvannakhoummane
Keooudone Souvannakhoummane is a PhD student, lecturer, and plant taxonomist at the National University of Laos (NUoL). He is also a member of the advisory board of the PhaKhaoLao platform. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in biology from NUoL and worked at the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden from 2010 to 2015. Between 2015 and […]
Chanthavone Phomphakdy
Chanthavone Phomphakdy is a PhD researcher at the Centre for Development and Environment (CDE), University of Bern, where he pursues a doctorate in Geography and sustainable development. Through his work with the Land for Life in Laos (LFL) project, he supports sustainable land governance by producing scientific evidence that can strengthen real-world decision-making. At the […]
